by A. J. Wynter
“Under those pretty eyes and big tits, there’s nothing. The woman is empty inside.”
“You need to leave,” Freddie said.
“You’re picking her?” Logan replied and leaned against the wooden railing. “Over me?”
Freddie sighed. “I’m not ‘picking’ anyone. I love Serena. She’s got a whole hell of a lot more going on than you know about. You just have to give her a chance.”
“Just call it off and I’ll think about it.”
“Call what off?” Freddie said, even though he knew exactly what Logan was talking about. But they couldn’t call the whole thing off without losing all the money.
“The engagement. That’s the only way I’ll give that twit a chance. Otherwise, you don’t have my support. I won’t go to your bachelor party. I won’t go to your wedding, I’m not going to have anything to do with you until you get your head on straight, Freddie.”
“Are you serious?” Freddie was shocked.
“I know that the pickings here are slim, Fred. What about Megan’s sister? That Ariel girl. You two seemed cozy at the wedding.”
“She was sweet, but she’s going to college in the fall.” And she’s not Serena.
“So? Your fiancée lives hours away. You should do the long-distance thing with the college girl. That would be way more fun.” He smiled, his attempt to lighten the mood failing miserably.
“I’m done with that kind of fun. Logan, if you can’t accept the fact that I’m in love with Serena and we’re engaged, then you need to leave and come back when you can.”
Freddie didn’t want Logan to leave. He loved having him back in his life and hoped that he would call his bluff.
“Fine. You’ve made your bed brother.” Logan stormed into the kitchen.
Freddie followed, hot on his heels. “I can’t believe you’re being like this.”
Logan looked around the house. “Where is she? Is she listening?”
Freddie glanced around the small house, noticing that it seemed eerily quiet. The stack of makeup containers and brushes that had cluttered up his sink were gone. He glanced to the bedroom and his heart sank. There were no clothes strewn across his bed,
“Do you think she heard us?” Freddie ran to the front window. Sure enough, her little car was gone.
“Looks like she did,” Logan said, holding something between his thick fingers.
Freddie’s heart stopped as he realized that Logan was holding up the engagement ring. He took two steps toward his brother and snapped the heavy diamond ring from his hand. He pointed to the door, “You need to go. NOW.”
Logan blanched.
“I’m sorry, Freddie. I don’t know what to –”
“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE,” Freddie yelled and pushed Logan squarely in the chest.
Logan looked like he was going to protest but then turned and left, closing the door gently behind him.
Freddie picked up his phone and dialed Serena. He was so confused. What the hell had just happened?
Chapter 21
WHEN CHARLOTTE ARRIVED, Freddie was on his back deck slumped in a lounge chair, his phone clutched in his hand.
“Where’s Serena?” Charlotte asked.
“Ask your boyfriend.” Freddie gripped the armrests on the chair and turned to face Charlotte. “And doesn’t anyone knock anymore?”
“I did knock... loudly,” Charlotte said and sat down on the chair beside him. “What’s Logan got to do with this?”
“Serena’s gone,” Freddie said and handed the engagement ring to Charlotte.
“Gone?” Charlotte said and leaned forward. She examined the ring between her fingers and then handed it back to Freddie. “So the venue tour is off?”
“No shit, Sherlock.” Freddie leaned back and closed his eyes.
“Whoa, Freddie. You don’t get to talk to me like that,” Charlotte said and stood up. “Unless you tell me what’s going on, I’m going to leave and only come back when you aren’t a complete and utter asshole.”
Freddie exhaled heavily. “I’m sorry, Char. Ugh. You know I didn’t mean that.”
“I do,” Charlotte said softly. “Now are you going to tell me what happened?”
“I wish I knew,” Freddie said. “We were getting close, really close, but we both agreed to back off... to keep it a business arrangement. I thought that she was okay with that. I guess she wasn’t.” He sighed. “It’s crazy, Charlotte. I told her I wanted it to be business, but deep down, I don’t know, I... I’ve...” he paused, feeling ridiculous.
“Fallen in love with her,” Charlotte finished his sentence.
“Yeah,” Freddie sat up and stared at Charlotte. “How did you know?”
Charlotte paused, longer than Freddie would have liked. “I had a feeling,” she said quietly.
“I thought that she might, you know, feel the same way about me.”
Charlotte nodded and Freddie continued. “She left to go get breakfast this morning and when she came back everything had changed.”
“That’s weird,” Charlotte said. “I talked to her at the café. She said that we were still on for this afternoon.”
“She did?” Freddie asked. “Because she came in back here in a rage.”
“And what did she say? Something must’ve happened on her way home from the café.”
“She didn’t have the chance to say anything. My brother, your boyfriend, was here telling me that I was making the worst mistake of my life and that she was a vacuumous twit.”
Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “I think you mean vacuous. Did she hear?”
“She must have. We were out here on the deck, but the bathroom window was open,” Freddie pointed to the small window. “And when we came back in, she was gone and the ring was on the counter.”
“Oh, no,” Charlotte said. “What else did you guys say out there?”
“I mean, Logan was being Logan.”
Charlotte grunted and nodded. “Mmmhmmm.”
“I defended her. I told him that if he couldn’t support our engagement—”
“Your fake engagement,” Charlotte clarified.
“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that,” Freddie replied. “I told him he wasn’t welcome here or in my life at all.”
“Are you sure that’s all you said?” Charlotte asked. “Maybe she doesn’t want to come in between you and your brother.”
“Maybe,” Freddie hadn’t thought of it that way. “But then why wouldn’t she wait and tell me? And why won’t she answer any of my calls?” He shook his cell phone. “I’ve been trying her since she left.”
“Could she be in the pass? In the cell dead zone?”
“I thought of that.” Freddie rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. “But she’d be on the other side of the mountains by now. And I can see that she’s read my messages.”
“That’s really weird,” Charlotte agreed with Freddie. “If she left the ring, does that mean she wants out of the agreement? I mean, that’s kind of a shitty thing to do. You guys have come so far. To just walk away from that kind of money seems pretty crazy.”
“I know. Especially, because of her dad.”
“What about her dad?” Charlotte asked.
Freddie told Charlotte all about the crash, how Serena’s dad was in a coma and she was using every cent she made from her job to pay for new treatments, and that the Sidney’s money was all going to his medical needs. He also told her about Serena’s drawings, her creative side. And how she dropped out of school to take care of her dad.
“It sounds like you really respect this woman.”
“I do,” A little laugh escaped from his lips, but trailed off into a sigh. “There’s a lot more to her. She’s not vacuous.”
“You’re starting to sound like your brother.”
“I had no idea what it meant until today. And Serena’s the opposite. She’s full of piss and vinegar.”
“I don’t think that’s the opposite, but I get what you’re saying,” C
harlotte smiled. “I had a conversation with her at the café. She’s really good at this marketing stuff. I would hire her.”
“Good luck getting that girl out of the city,” Freddie said. “This is probably a good thing. I mean, better to be heartbroken now than when she decides this town is too small for her.”
He saw Charlotte’s brow furrow. “You know, she did ask me a weird question about dressing up in a small town.” Freddie, “I wouldn’t let the whole city girl/country boy thing stop you from being with Serena. Look at me,” Charlotte smiled.
“I just wish she would talk to me.”
“Do you want me to try and get in touch with her?” Charlotte asked.
“No. Thanks though, Charlotte,” he sighed. “I’m a big boy.”
Charlotte stood up and smoothed out her dress. “I have to go cancel the showings. Freddie, if this is all a misunderstanding, you two will work it out. Trust me, if you’re meant to be together, you’ll be together.”
“I wish I had your optimism.” Freddie stood up to walk Charlotte through the house and out the front door.
“Keep me posted,” she said. As she stepped onto the front porch, they both heard a cracking sound, like glass. Charlotte bent down, “What’s this?” Freddie’s sunglass case was stuck under her stiletto heel. “Sunglasses?” she asked. “They’re ruined. I’m sorry Freddie.”
Freddie’s mind started to race as the puzzle pieces started falling into place. “Oh no,” he said.
“I’ll replace them,” Charlotte said. She pulled the glasses out of the case, the right lens was shattered. “Where did these come from?”
“Oh, no,” Freddie repeated. This time a little louder. “I think I know what happened between here and the café.”
Charlotte handed him the case. “What?”
Freddie’s heart was in the pit of his stomach. She had a zeal for ruining people’s lives, and the last time he saw her, he had turned down her advances. Would she be jealous enough to try and ruin his life? He knew the answer. Yes.
“Stacy. Stacy happened.”
Chapter 22
FREDDIE SPENT THE REST of Sunday polishing off a case of beer. The last message he sent to Serena before he blacked out into sleep simply read, Call me. I can explain.
He felt like he had cotton balls in his mouth as he peeled his back from the leather sofa, his hangover in full force. He peered through the blinds. The sun had risen, but the skies were cloudy; a dreary Monday morning. He didn’t want to check his phone, worried that he’d have a bad response from Serena, or worse, no response. He shook his head and snatched his phone off the table. It was the latter.
Now he was starting to get worried. What if she had crashed her car? She was angry as hell when she left. What if she was stuck in a crumpled heap of metal at the bottom of the canyon? He jumped into the shower and let the cool water wash the sweat off his body, but couldn’t get the mangled wreckage imagery out of his mind and quickly hopped out. He called Josh and asked if there had been any accidents reported between here and the valley. Although Josh hadn’t heard of any, Freddie pulled on his pants quickly intending on cruising the pass just to make sure. As he zipped his fly, his phone rang, startling him out of his catastrophic visions. He breathed out a sigh of relief. It was her.
“Hello.”
“Fred. It’s Serena.”
“Oh, thank god. I was just about to head out and make sure you weren’t in a ditch somewhe...” Freddie trailed off when he realized he sounded way to eager.
“Listen, Freddie. Charlotte went and took photos of all the wedding venues. I have more than enough content to last the next month. We don’t need to see each other ever again.”
“But, what about business?”
“What about it, Freddie?”
“I thought that things were going okay. That we were going to keep doing this – as business partners.”
She ignored him. “I was going to call it off before Charlotte stepped in with those extra photos. We can pawn that ring after I announce that we’ve decided to go our separate ways. Everyone wins. We get the money and we never have to see each other again.”
“Wait, Serena. Listen, I can explain everything if you’ll let me.”
“I don’t care, Freddie. You can go sleep with whomever you want now. Maybe you can find some non-vacuous Rapidian that your brother will like.”
She had heard the conversation. “I don’t want anyone else.”
“Actions speak louder than words, my friend. Goodbye.”
The phone clicked off and Freddie stared at the black screen.
He pushed on the button to return the call, but as it was ringing he realized that he didn’t want another long-distance relationship. When Serena picked up, she sounded more irritated than before. He held his thumb over the red hang-up icon on the screen.
“Hello,” she said again.
He hung up.
Chapter 23
THE METAL DOORS OF the care facility felt cold against Serena’s sweaty palms. The drive from Chance Rapids had gone by in a blur. She felt like she was being pulled in two separate directions; on one hand, extreme happiness at the news about her dad, but on the other sadness about falling for the wrong man. She had been wrong about Freddie and he had broken her heart.
It had been so long since she’d heard her dad’s voice, she was worried that she wouldn’t recognize it. The nurses had warned her that his vocal cords had been impacted by the coma, so she wasn’t expecting lengthy speeches or even heart to hearts. She just wanted to hear him say hi.
The doctors were touting his recovery as a miracle, but Serena firmly believed that the latest treatment plan was what made the difference. The first thing she saw when she walked into the room was his smile. He always had the biggest smile in the room and today was no exception. She dropped her bag on the chair by the door and rushed to give him a hug. His arms felt skeletal around her shoulders but still comforted her, in the way only a dad’s hug can. She felt her body fully relax for the first time since the accident, and couldn’t stifle the sob that had sat dormant in her body for so long. She sobbed heartbrokenly. As they held each other, her shoulders racked as she wailed, and so did her dad’s.
“Hi,” she whispered once the tears had dried.
He pointed to his throat.
The nurse stepped in. “It might be a while for that to come back. He has been out for a long time.”
Serena nodded, sad that she wasn’t going to hear his voice today, but his eyes said it all.
“I love you, daddy,” she said.
He nodded and drew her hand to his lips and kissed it.
This moment made everything worth it. Her fake life, a job that she hated, the fake engagement. She’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
“He has a physiotherapy appointment in a few minutes,” the nurse said. “The doctor would like to see you as well.”
“Okay,” Serena brushed away her tears and smiled at her dad.
He raised his eyebrows and pointed to her mouth.
“Oh, this?” she giggled and pointed to her jagged tooth. “That’s a story for another day.” She grabbed her purse. “I’ll be back after your appointment.”
He waved weakly, and then his arm flopped back down to his side.
“That’s the most he’s moved since he woke up,” the nurse whispered as they walked down the hallway. “Seeing you has brought him to life.” She stopped and rested her hand on Serena’s forearm. “It’s good that you’re here, but you need to know his limitations and make sure he doesn’t push himself to exhaustion.”
“Okay,” Serena said, feeling guilty. “How do I know what’s too much?”
The nurse opened the door to the doctor’s office, “The doctor will go over all of that with you.”
“Thank you,” she looked to the nurse’s name tag, “Candace.”
Serena was on a first-name basis with all the nurses at the previous facility, but she hadn’t met all of the caregivers at the
Willowrun yet.
“You’re welcome, Miss Cruise.”
Serena sat across from the doctor, an attractive brunette with her hair pulled back into a low bun. Dr. Wiseman was all business, and Serena appreciated it. They sat and discussed her dad’s treatment plan, and managing expectations. For both Serena and her dad.
“What does he know about the accident?” Serena asked.
“His brain is all there, Miss Cruise. He knows that his wife and your sister perished in the accident. He knew all along.”
“How did he know?” Serena fingered the leather handle on her expensive handbag.
“We don’t know.” The doctor said and closed the file. “Until he gets his voice and motor skills back, it will be a mystery. I’ve been doing this a long time, and there are some things that just can’t be explained.”
Serena walked out of the building with a spring in her step. The doctor had confirmed what she had known all along: her dad knew that she was there every day. The doctor was optimistic about his recovery but had urged Serena not to push things, or her dad. It may be months before the connections in his brain were firing properly, and he might have to learn to speak from scratch. Serena didn’t care. She’d come and read to her dad every day. All day. Whatever it took to hear that man speak.
Chapter 24
FREDDIE’S EYES TOOK a minute to adjust to the darkness of the Last Chance Tavern.
“Charlie,” he nodded to the bartender as he slid onto the barstool.
“Coming straight from work?” Charlie turned away from the stack of glasses he was polishing.
Freddie looked down at his work pants and a ratty old t-shirt. “What gave it away?”
“The usual?”
“Sure. And maybe a shot.”
Charlie raised his eyebrows but dutifully pulled a beer stein out of the freezer to pour Freddie a glass of beer. He set two shot glasses on the bar, “Whiskey?”
“You know it,” Freddie said. “It’s the weekend, isn’t it?”
Charlie poured the amber liquid while nodding. Freddie knew that Charlie was working up the nerve to tell him to slow down on the booze. He’d been at the Last Chance every night that week – and his beer and whiskey combo wasn’t limited to the weekend – he’d been somewhere between tipsy and blackout drunk every night that week.
